Hamilton’s coalition of nonprofit housing providers has earned the respect, attention and support of federal elected officials, helping to bring funding for new housing developments to the city.
Federal officials have recognized the value of Hamilton is Home as a source of authoritative information about the housing crisis in the city and policies and best practices that can help solve it. The strength of the coalition’s unified voice and mission has helped to build a foundation of trust between the city’s nonprofit housing sector and all levels of government, easing the way for federal resources to flow into Hamilton.
“Hamilton is really at the forefront of figuring out how to solve this housing crisis,” said Liberal Member of Parliament Lisa Hepfner, of Hamilton Mountain. “Whenever I bring in ministers or parliamentary secretaries from outside of Hamilton they’re always amazed that all of these organizations really work together – they’ve even codified it with Hamilton is Home. It’s really unique.”
Hepfner said the coordination between all the city’s nonprofit housing providers through the coalition gives the sector’s voice more weight with federal officials, and has likely helped the city attract its significant share of federal housing investment.
Federal Housing Minister supports the coalition
Federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson noted that the coalition was well-positioned to earn federal funds provided through the Liberal government’s Build Canada Homes program. Speaking in a November 2025 interview with The Hamilton Spectator, Robertson applauded the role of the Hamilton is Home coalition in creating housing that helps transition people out of street homelessness and temporary shelters and into permanent homes: “The Hamilton is Home coalition’s doing a great job of that, so they come as trusted providers, working with the private sector to build efficiently and deliver homes. They’re exactly the kind of partners we’re hoping to see ambitious proposals from that can be built as soon as possible and combine affordable housing with great community services, too.”
At the time of the Spectator interview, Robertson had recently visited Hamilton for a Liberal Party convention. During his visit, he also carved out time to meet with representatives of the Hamilton is Home coalition and one of its member organizations, the supportive housing provider, Indwell. Robertson, along with MP Hepfner and Liberal MP John-Paul Danko, of Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas, all toured Indwell’s Parkdale Landing project.
The Hamilton is Home coalition got a visit from the previous Minister of Housing, Sean Fraser, as well, in 2024, when he toured a CityHousing Hamilton affordable housing development site and the modular housing manufacturer Fero International.
The Hamilton is Home coalition has also enjoyed significant participation and support from other federal elected officials. A federal candidates debate convened by the coalition in April 2025 brought together Green Party candidate Sandy Crawley for Hamilton Centre, NDP candidate Monique Taylor for Hamilton Mountain and MP Hepfner for a discussion addressing the city’s housing needs.
Retired Liberal Member of Parliament Filomena Tassi, who represented Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas, played an important role in the inception of the Hamilton is Home coalition and supported its positive relationship with government. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she hosted regular Zoom meetings bringing together all of Hamilton’s federal representatives to address increasing challenges with housing.
The value of Hamilton is Home
MP Hepfner said the city’s nonprofit housing providers are valued by federal elected officials like her because they are “critical” to solving the housing crisis, as builders and also as providers of essential support services the most vulnerable people need to stay housed.
Solving the housing crisis will require increases in all types of housing, Hepfner said, with supportive housing being “an integral part of the solution…What Indwell does for example, or Victoria Park or YWCA or all of the different partners of Hamilton is Home – they provide supportive housing that changes people’s lives,” Hepfner said.
Hepfner emphasized how distinct and important it is that Hamilton’s nonprofit housing providers collaborate both on projects and on advocacy for their shared mission of creating housing for all who need it in the city of Hamilton.
“Your voice is more powerful when you’re united, so it says a lot more when you bring a cabinet minister to Hamilton and you’re sitting here at a table with all of the housing providers and they all have the same thing in their hearts as their goal.”
As a coalition, the member organizations are “much more coordinated in their asks,” of the federal government, Hepfner said. They “can show you throughout the whole city, what the whole housing landscape is like and why Hamilton needs certain funding. They are better advocates for the city.”
MP Hepfner pointed out that Hamilton “has gotten a huge share of the federal funding” recently made available for housing, given its size. Hepfner said the coalition’s “impressive” coordination and advocacy efforts are part of the reason for that.
“I think Hamilton sets an example on a national level,” she said.